Prey Consumption of Insectivorous Bats in Coniferous Forests of North-Central Idaho

Abstract

A considerable body of work has emerged on the ecology of insectivorous bats in forests of the Pacific Northwest, including dietary studies. Existing research in the Pacific Northwest on bat diets and prey consumption has emphasized populations of bats in Oregon. There are limited data for species inhabiting forests elsewhere in the region. We collected fecal samples from bats captured in mist nets set during May through August, 2004-05, in two watersheds in north-central Idaho that supported forests which were actively managed for timber production. We analyzed fecal samples of 183 bats of five species and compared the results to previously published data for these same species inhabiting forest habitats in the Pacific Northwest. Remains of 12 orders or classes of prey, along with 18 taxonomic families of insects, were identified in the diet of these bats. Prey items included Acari, Arachnida, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Homoptera, Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, Orthoptera, and Trich...